A Long Time Ago and Not So Far From Home
by DP-shrine-in-closet-girl
Summary: After an incident with a Kraang time travel device, April is sent 8 years into the past. The turtles are just 8 years old and Splinter has enough to handle without a human girl suddenly appearing in their home. April has to keep her origins a secret while trying to convince the mutant family she means them no harm. However, Splinter isn't the only one suspicious of her motives.
1. Lost

**Hi! Welcome to my new story! I'm still writing Deeper than Blood, Stronger than Fate, but those are just a collective bunch of stories that don't really necessarily fit together. This is a new multichaptered fic that I have been thinking about for a while. **

**If you are ever curious about updates or where this story is going I might have more information on my tumblr textsfromturtles f****rom time to time**, where I will also be posting this story. 

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**Chapter 1: Lost**

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"_Don't worry, April, no matter what happens, I'll find you! I promise!"_

That was the last thing Donatello said to her as the purple void swallowed her completely.

April could have never predicted this would happen to her three days ago when the turtles had brought home the strange black box. However, strange unpredictable things seemed to always happen around her, so maybe April should have seen it coming.

The turtles had found the black box in a Kraang ship, and after Donnie received some unexplainable readings from the box, he suggested they take it home so he could study it further. After careful scans -the box would not open and the unstable energy readings told Donatello that prying it open would be nothing but disastrous- Donnie was able to conclude in complete shock that they had in their possession a time travel device.

"Sweet!" Mikey had exclaimed when Donnie explained the nature of the box. "I can go back to this morning and tell myself not to eat the last of the pizza and then go forward in time again and have the pizza all to myself! Past Mikey has always been a real jerk about eating the last of the pizza and not saving any for Future Mikey!"

Raph slapped him up-side the head.

Donnie rolled his eyes. "Time travel doesn't work that way, doofus," he said as if it were obvious. "When it sends a person 'back in time' it sends them to a different time in a different dimension; one almost identical to our own. For example, if you went back in time to tell Mikey from this morning not to eat the last slice of pizza, you're actually going to meet Mikey from this morning in a different dimension. If you were to come back home, you would actually be coming back to our dimension, and if you were to look in the fridge, you would see that there still is no pizza, because you did not change the past in our timeline."

Leo hummed thoughtfully. "I get it! This is just like episode 24 of season 3 of space heroes!"

"Oh yeah, that episode!" Raph said sarcastically. "How could I forget that episode?"

Leo glared at him. "You're just jealous because I get what Donnie's talking about."

"This sounds like lame time travel," Mikey said with a pout.

"It's not lame time travel," Donnie denied, glaring at his brother as if Mikey had insulted him personally. "It's the only theoretical sound way of doing it! And the safest. Think about it, this way you can't mess up your own time stream and create a paradox. You may end up altering the time steam in the dimension you visit, but none of that will affect you once you get back home. And even if you alter another dimension slightly, as long as you don't do any real harm, no one in that dimension will notice. It's time travel without the risk of the grandfather paradox; it's brilliant!"

The three turtles stared at their genius brother.

"You've been thinking way too hard about this and you only just discovered what it does," Raph commented.

Donnie scowled. "It's just basic science fiction. April thinks it's cool, right April?"

April blinked when she realized all eyes were on her. She smiled awkwardly. Truthfully, Donnie's explanation of time travel had taken her mind elsewhere.

"Oh… yeah, it's pretty cool," she agreed. "I was just hoping it could… you know, stop the Kraang from taking my dad in the first place." She shrugged, trying not to look too disappointed. It wasn't the type of time machine she had been hoping it was.

Mikey gasped and grabbed her by the shoulders, rapidly, but still gently, turning her to face him. April blinked in surprise. "But that would mean that you would have never met us! You wouldn't do that, would you?" His eyes were large and desperate as they blinked up at her pleadingly.

April's heart plummeted. That hadn't been what she had meant at all. Yes, she wanted her dad back, but to trade meeting the turtles to do it? She couldn't trade one part of her life for another; that would be like replacing one gaping hole in her heart for another.

Glancing around, she realized Mikey wasn't the only one waiting for her answer. They were all watching her, except for Donatello who avoided her eyes exactly when she chose to look at him. He looked suddenly sad and guilt stabbed at her heart.

"No! No of course not!" April assured them. "I didn't mean that! I would never want to change the fact that we met. I just… keep thinking that if we had a second chance we could do things differently. Or maybe… stop my dad from being mutated. That's all I meant."

Leo smiled at her reassuringly. "We know what you meant, April. Mikey's just being dramatic."

"Am not!"

April shrugged. "But it doesn't matter anyway because that's not how the time machine works, right Donnie?"

"Umm, right," Donnie agreed hesitantly.

"Well, I'm going first!" Mikey decided, reaching out to grab the box.

Donnie slapped his hand away. "No one is using it at all! I still barely know how it works and I don't really know if it would be a one-way trip or not. I'm not sure if the box travels with you or if someone else has to retrieve you."

"Where is your sense of adventure?" Mikey demanded.

"Donnie's right Mikey, it's best if we don't touch it. It won't help us fight the Kraang so we should just leave it alone," Leo said in his leader-voice as April called it.

April hadn't meat to touch the device. Days later, she had just been shifting through Donnie's notes on his desk, with his permission of course, looking for a specific piece of paper. The problem with being best friends with a genius was when he asked you to find a specific piece of paper, not only are his notes incomprehensible to anyone with an IQ bellow 200, but his work space was a complete mess. To April's dismay, she found that over half of the notes were written in Kanji (some papers had both English and Kanji on them. Sometimes in the same sentence! And was that French? Why would he use French?) and were thus unreadable to her.

She knew Donnie wouldn't purposely make her look for notes written in anything other than English, but as brilliant as Donnie was and as flawless as his eidetic memory usually was, when he was flustered or thinking of too many things at once, he often made obvious mistakes like that most people wouldn't make.

"I can't find it, Donnie," she called to him loud enough for him to hear from the other room.

"That' okay. Let me just finish up these calculations and I'll be right there."

Knowing that would take a while, April decided she could kill some time by cleaning up the mess of papers. Usually she wouldn't move his stuff around, because when Donnie was in the middle of a project April knew that the scattered papers often represented the interworking's of Donnie's mind. After all, he always knew where everything was as if everything was in its logical spot, even if his notes seemed scattered to her.

However, Mikey had been in Donnie's lab recently and accidently shuffled all the papers around, thinking that they were already a mess. Mikey had been looking for an old toy, a metal turtle with a glass shell that lit up bright orange. He had found it and showed the little toy to April. Like most things in lair, the toy looked like it had been built from junk found in the sewer. However, it must have been built really well, because although it was old, the orange light for the shell still worked. April had wanted to ask about the toy, but she never got the chance. She ended up having to prevent Donnie from having a meltdown over the fact that the lab contents had been shifted around by his baby brother.

Donnie was calm and collected in battle, like some kind of flawless machine, but when someone messed with his lab he has a complete panic attack.

So, to calm the genius down April insisted that Donnie work outside his lab and if he needed any notes April would get them for him. However, she found this task harder than she thought it would be, and since Donnie really needed this specific sheet of notes to finish his work, he would unfortunately have brave the mess and find it himself. However, maybe if April could organize a little first, he wouldn't be quite so stressed out at the state of his lab.

While organizing the papers written in English, she came across something that didn't have any notes scrawled on it, and in the sea of dark, messy handwriting, this paper stood out. It was a picture, and April instantly recognized the face in the sketch. There was no doubt about who it was; the sketch was absolutely flawless, and if it hadn't been made with a pencil, April would have thought it was a black and white photo of herself taken with a camera.

In the sketch, April was looking at something to her right, smiling affectionately with an amused gleam in her eyes.

April's breath caught in her throat. She looked absolutely gorgeous in this picture, but not because Donnie had altered any of her features. On the contrary, he had kept everything down to the very last freckle. It was the pure love and adoration captured on her face that seemed to make her shine off the page.

This picture was too perfect; she doubted he had created it from his imagination. He must have been drawing her when she wasn't looking, but with the amount of care that went into this sketch (she could hardly call it a sketch) it must have taken him quite a while, and April was sure she would have noticed if he sat there sketching her for over an hour. No, she realized in amazement, he must have taken this image from his memory.

April blushed lightly at the beautiful girl in the picture. Did he really see her this way? April wondered who she had been looking at in the picture with such admiration and love.

Although she heard no footsteps, April heard Donatello sigh just outside the lab door. April quickly shoved the drawing under a few papers she hoped Donatello wouldn't search through. April was aware of Donnie's crush on her and she didn't want to make things more awkward for him if he found her with that picture.

However, as she shoved the drawing in the middle of a stack of papers, April's hand accidently bumped into something hard. To her confusion, the thing that she bumped suddenly started whine loudly as if a large amount of power was building up. April removed the papers covering it only to stare in horror at the black box.

No, this didn't make any sense. Donnie had touched the time machine multiple times and it hadn't activated. Why was it suddenly activating when she touched it?

The box clicked and fell open, revealing wiring she had seen in other Kraang devices, expect this was even more complicated and she couldn't tell where one wire began and another stopped. In the center of the box was what looked like a round, purple crystal. Energy swirled inside the stone and April jumped back as little fractals of purple lighting shot out of the box. They were small at first, but then they started to grow more powerful.

There was a loud snapping sound, and as if the space around her was an egg, purple cracks in the air began to appear, but unlike the purple lighting, they did not fade. In fact, they only seemed to grow wider as the lighting increased.

In the back of her mind, April knew why the box has reacted to her. It was obvious even if she didn't like to think about it. She was part Kraang, the box was Kraang tech, and it was reacting to the Kraang-like DNA that made her who she was.

April tried to bolt for the door, but the cracks in the air had grown as large as her and it was now pulling her towards it; it wasn't sucking her out like an open door in an airplane would. There was no wind and Donatello's papers did not flutter around her. It pulled at her like she was the other half of a magnet, strong and constant.

Donnie appeared in the door, his eyes wide and confused. Terror twisted across his face when he saw her about to fall away before him. He ran forward and reached out to grab her, but when his hand touched her outstretched hand it fell through her like she was a ghost.

"No!" he shouted. "April!"

April stared in horror. It was too late. He couldn't reach her.

"Donnie!" she shouted back, but the purple void took her words away and she knew they didn't reach him.

"Don't worry, April, no matter what happens, I'll find you! I promise!"

And then she was pulled away. A terrified sob escaping her lips that no one, not even she could hear in the emptiness of the void.

Then she was lost.

**Hope you liked the beginning! A lot more will happen next chapter! Please review and let me know what you thought!**


	2. Blind Trust

**I was going to wait until I finished writing chapter three to post this, but I've gotten such amazing review and responses already that I didn't want to keep you guys waiting any longer. Here you go! I hope you enjoy chapter 2!**

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**Chapter 2: Blind Trust**

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April awoke with a start.

She blinked in the dim light, trying to identify her surroundings.

She was in a large room that was oddly familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. There was a chill in the air and a damp smell that was familiar, but not unpleasant.

She tried to think of how she got here-

She gasped as Donatello's terrified face flashed through her mind. She remembered the purple cracks in the air pulling her away. She remembered the Kraang time travel device and how she had accidentally activated it.

April suddenly knew where she was. She was in the lair, in Donnie's lab to be more precise, but it looked nothing like the lab did where April came from. It was empty and old and didn't look like it had been used at all.

She must have fallen back in time… no, not just in time, back in time in another dimension. April looked around but to her dismay the black box had not followed her. She was stuck.

April clenched her fists as a feeling of utter loneliness dropped heavily into her stomach and hopeless tears threatened to cloud her vision.

"_Don't worry, April, no matter what happens, I'll find you! I promise!"_

Donnie had never let her down before. She had to trust that he would be able to bring her back home.

April took a breath and let it out in a long sigh, rubbing the beginning of her tears from her eyes. She felt stupid for worrying. Of course she could count on Donnie.

In the meantime, she would have to survive on her own and wait for him. She knew her best chance of seeing any of her friends again would be to stay in the same area she traveled too. However, who knew how long it would take Donnie to locate her and find a way to bring her back? Could she really stay down here all by herself?

April glanced around the dimly lit not-yet-a-lab.

She wondered when in the past she was. The lair seemed empty and she wondered if this was years before the turtles were born. The thought made her feel lonely but at the same time relieved. She didn't know what she would have done if Splinter and the turtles had been living here. She wouldn't have been able to explain her arrival and there was no way they would believe the from-the-future thing. On the other hand, she really didn't want to wait in the empty lair alone for who knows how long until Donnie figured out how to bring her home.

April shifted her position, and noticed her tan messenger bag that had been around her shoulder had come through the cracks with her. Looking inside, she found she had her T-phone, her wallet, her tessen and a few binders from school with her homework in them.

_Well, I guess I have a few years before I have to turn that assignment in._

April's head snapped up. She swore she heard the faintest sound of someone moving just outside the door. April peered into the darkness, but saw nothing in the shadows.

Splinter's words filled her head.

_A blind man sees what a seeing man never can, April. You have a gift, but your eyes will blind you from your true potential. Close them. Perception is an illusion. Your enemy will only let you see what they want you to see; use your gift and seek the truth. _

April closed her eyes and took a depth breath. She reached out with her mind, her entire being, just like Splinter had taught her. She searched for a presence other than her own, and opened her eyes in shock to discover that she was not alone.

"Hello?" she called out into the darkness.

There was no response.

"I know you're there," she tried again, discreetly reaching her hand in her bag for her tessen, but not yet pulling it out. She had felt multiple presences just outside the room, and although they didn't seem hostile as far as she could tell, the fact that they hid was cause for alarm.

"It's okay, I won't hurt you," April tried. "My name is April. Who are you?"

The room was completely silent but April could still feel them. She wished her skills were better so she could tell more about who they were.

_Thunk!_

April flinched as one of her silent watchers fell out from behind the door frame and landed on the floor, staring up at her in wide-eyed terror.

April's breath caught in her throat at the sight of the small, mutant turtle with bright blue, frightened eyes and spotted cheeks. He went completely still as he stared up at her, vulnerable and small, no older than eight years old. He didn't have his mask, but April recognized him immediately.

Scared stiff, the little turtle let out a whimper. He was too frightened to move or even look away from her, but suddenly he wasn't alone as a darker-skinned turtle suddenly stood over him, glowering at April as if she was an enemy. He wasn't much taller than the first turtle, but he looked much stronger, even at their young age. He wasn't wearing his red mask, but April knew those piercing green eyes anywhere.

Before April could speak, two more turtles appeared standing beside the first two. They arrived silently as if they had been there all along. They had no weapons, no padding or wraps for their arms and legs, and no masks. April instantly recognized Donatello as he towered awkwardly over his brothers. His eyes taking her in with a calculated intelligence that seemed strange for a child to have, but that she was all too used to seeing on his fifteen year old face.

Leo stared at her cautiously and didn't take his eyes off of her as he reached down to help his shaking younger brother to his feet. He then placed Mikey behind him protectively, making himself the front of the group. April could see the fear in Leo's eyes as he studied her carefully.

They were all looking at her with a curiosity and a terror that made her hold as still as she could. If she moved even an inch she was sure they would all flee. April guessed the only reason they had allowed her to see them was because Mikey had accidently revealed himself and they weren't about to let their youngest brother, or any of their brothers, face down the strange human alone.

"Hi," she whispered softly, and the turtles tensed at the sound of her words. "It's okay…" she continued to whisper in the most soothing voice she could manage. "I'm not going to hurt you."

She saw Mikey lean forward curiously, his view almost completely blocked by his protective brothers. Now that his brothers were with him, his fear seemed to have lessened some.

Mikey spoke quietly to one of his brothers, but it had been in Japanese and April hadn't been able to decipher any of the words.

Raph responded harshly, also in Japanese, and Mikey went silent.

April's stomach clenched. Surely the turtles knew English by now, right? She would be in a real predicament if they couldn't understand her.

"I'm April," she repeated. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. You can… you can understand me, right?"

Raph nudged Mikey to the side and placed a hand on Donnie's shoulders, indicating with his head that it was time to leave.

Raph said something in Japanese and Donnie nodded. Eyeing her closely, Donnie took a step to leave.

"Don't go!" April pleaded, a little louder. She racked her brain for the right word. "Tasukete!"

_Please help._

They paused, looking at her in surprise.

"Michi o mayotte imasu."

_I'm lost._

She had learned that one before she met the turtles in hopes that she would one day go to Japan. She figured that would be an important phrase to know in case she got lost in a large city. She would have never dreamt she would use the phrase in a situation like this.

She could see the hesitation in their faces. Leo, especially, looked conflicted.

Leo opened his mouth, hesitated, and then closed it, glancing at his brothers. Raph shook his head and said something in Japanese. Donnie spoke up, saying something else in Japanese, and then Mikey spoke, earning a glare from the other three.

Leo turned back to her. "Why… why are you here?" he asked, much to April's relief. His voice was small, betraying the fear he was struggling to hide.

April quickly thought up a lie. "I don't know. I was running from these bad guys and I hid in the sewers. Somehow I found this place."

"You were sleeping when I found you," Mikey said. "Why?"

April shrugged. "I don't know. I think I collapsed." She knew she had to play along to keep up this ruse. She couldn't give away that she knew too much. "Who are you guys?"

"None of your business!" Raph snapped.

April frowned. "Sorry, it's just not every day a girl meets talking turtles."

_Unless you're April O'Neil, _April thought to herself.

"You're… you're not scared of us?" Donatello asked clearly astonished.

April shrugged. "Not nearly as scared as you four seem to be of me."

Raph growled. "I'm not scared of you!"

"Okay, good," she replied simply, but her response only fueled the already heated glare form Raphael.

April shifted positions so she could face them better and four turtles flinched at her sudden movement. They were roughly the same height as any human eight-year-olds would be, except for Donnie who was quite a few awkward inches taller than his brothers.

"It's okay…" April promised, noticing their skittish movements. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Like we'd trust a human," Raph scoffed.

"Raph, stop, you're being rude," Leo chastised.

"I'm being rude? She broke into our home, Leo!"

April sighed. "I think we started off on the wrong foot. What are your names?"

"I'm Michelangelo!" Mikey volunteered, pushing past his brothers to stand in the front of the group. "And your hair is really pretty!"

April giggled and tried to squash the obligatory 'aww' that was rising in her throat. As teenagers, the guys had moments when they were pretty cute, although she would never admit it to them. But as children? They were the most adorable kids she had ever seen.

"Can I touch your hair?" Mikey asked.

April shrugged. "Sure," she agreed. If it would make them less afraid of her, then why not?

Raph and Donnie grabbed Mikey's shell before he could move forward, both chastising him in Japanese.

"Aww, come on! Please! I never get to do anything and she said I could!" Mikey whined. Mikey looked to Leo. "Aniki, please?" he pleaded.

Leo glanced at April and then shook his head. "No, sorry, Mikey. We should… we should really wait for sensei to get back."

"At least tell me the rest of your names? What about you? What's your name?" April asked Leo.

He blinked, stunned over being singled out by her. "I'm Leonardo, and the other two are Raphael and Donatello."

"And who is this sensei?" she asked. The more they told her the less likely April was to slip up and say something that she shouldn't know.

"That's Master Splinter," Mikey volunteered. "He's our dad!"

"You think he'll be mad that I'm here?" April asked, knowing fully that he would be. When it came to protecting his sons, Master Splinter would stop at nothing to make sure they were safe.

"Yeah… humans aren't supposed to know we exist," Leo explained. "Sensei says that they'll try to hurt us if they know." He watched her closely, and April could tell he was gauging her reaction.

She nodded. "Sounds like he wants to protect you," April agreed.

"Are you going to hurt us?" Mikey asked, his eyes widening slightly.

"No!" April exclaimed, horrified. "No, of course not!"

Raph scoffed again. "You're not really going to believe her are you, Mikey? She's just saying what you want to hear. She broke into our home! She shouldn't be here."

April bit her lip at the hostility in Raphael's eyes. She really couldn't blame him. He was only trying to protect his brothers, but she couldn't leave. She had nowhere else to go and staying in the lair was her best chance at getting back home.

"Please…" she pleaded. "I have nowhere else to go. Let me say here for a bit." She didn't like lying to them but she didn't have much of a choice. "If I stay on the surface those bad men might find me."

The turtles exchanged hesitant glances with each other; all but Raphael, who continued to glare at her.

"I wish I had some way to show you that you can trust me. Or to make you feel safer…" Her eyes wandered around the room until they fell on the grey cloth on the floor next to her. "Oh, maybe this will work?" She picked the cloth up, noticing out of the corner of her eye how the turtles followed her every movement. "You don't trust me so I'll at least give you a reason to not be afraid of me." April placed the cloth over her eyes and tied it behind her head. "There, now I can't see. I can't hurt you if I can't see you, right? And now I'm defenseless."

"I suppose…" Donatello said cautiously. "But why?"

"Because Raphael is right. I broke into your home and scared you. That's not really fair. Now you don't have to be scared of me."

There was nothing but silence that followed her statement. As the silence dragged on, her first thought was they had left her alone. But then she took a breath and concentrated. She hadn't been completely telling the truth, she wasn't completely defenseless with her eyes closed. After all, Splinter was training her to see better without her eyes. She could still feel the presents of the four small turtles in the room with her.

April shifted slowly until her legs were like a pretzel underneath her. She had a feeling that she might have to wait a long while before the turtles would lose their fear of her, but she was willing to wait. The last thing that she wanted to do was scare them. She hoped the blindfold helped relax them a little. She knew she couldn't hope to earn their trust if she didn't show them that she trusted them in return.

She finally had a moment to breathe. Her mind was still trying to process what was going on. When she woke up this morning she did not expect to be traveling to a parallel universe to meet the turtles as children.

"Donnie," she heard Raph warn and she felt the presence of one turtle come forward. She was surprised at first that it hadn't been Michelangelo, but then she realized his brothers were probably still holding Mikey back. They hadn't thought to grab timid Donatello. They had forgotten that Donatello's endless curiosity even rivalled that of Michelangelo's.

She felt Donnie stop in front of her. Far enough away that she couldn't reach out and grab him –not that she would—but also much closer then she had originally thought he would dare. Although she was taller than him standing up, from her position on the floor he was looking down on her.

April tried to keep her lips from twitching into a smile.

"Can I… can I ask you…" he began in a quiet, hesitant voice, "what is it like to have skin?"

April shrugged. "I can't explain it. What is it like to have scales?"

He was silent, but it was the thoughtful silence she often associated with Donnie.

"Here," she said suddenly. "I'll show you. Just don't… don't be scared, okay?"

She could practically hear him gulp and she immediately wondered if this was a good idea, but there was no going back now.

Impossibly slowly, April brought her left hand forward and held it upwards towards him. She could hear Donatello take a fearful step back, but it was only one step and it was small.

"It's okay," April soothed kindly.

And suddenly, April was struck with a wave of emotion as the familiarity of this situation came crashing down on her. She had said exactly what Donnie had said the night she met him when the Kraang attacked. He had held out his hand to her, much like what she was doing now, and told her it was okay. Both times she had been on the ground, but this time she wasn't scared.

"I won't hurt you," April assured him.

Still, Donatello made no more moves towards her. Her arm was getting tired, but she didn't drop it just yet. She knew she had to give him time.

Ever so slowly, April felt him take a small step towards her. And then another; and then another.

"Donnie, wait!" Leo's voice suddenly interrupted the silence. "Maybe we should wait for Splinter."

Donatello didn't answer, and April could imagine the look of concentration that was most likely playing across his face. She knew Donnie, and when faced with something new and interesting, his brothers' words of caution were lost on him.

She felt him hesitate one last time, and then a scaled hand touched her own, his fingers lightly brushing against the tips of her own fingers. She held perfectly still and relaxed, knowing that if she tensed up he would flee.

Donatello yanked his hand back as soon as he had touched her, but he did not run. She waited, patiently, hopefully…

She felt his three-fingered hand on her skin once again. He was bolder this time as he grasped her hand in his own. She could feel him examining the back of her hand before he flipped her hand over and examined her palm; using two hands now as he traced the lines on her hand. He quickly grew bored with her hand and let it go, but she could feel him studying her face with his inquisitive eyes.

Suddenly, April felt more movement around her rather than heard it; she knew she was surrounded by turtles, and they were much closer than they had been before.

"Please, Aniki? Donnie got to…" she heard Michelangelo plead. There were hushed voices arguing in Japanese, Raph the loudest and most angry among them, and then she heard Michelangelo squeal in delight as a decision was made.

She heard him run towards her and April held back a laugh.

"Mikey!" Raph cautioned and she felt Michelangelo come to a stop right before he reached her. Gently, she felt Michelangelo poke her arm with one of his fingers before gasping in surprise. "She's warm like Splinter! And really soft!"

April chuckled. "You wanted to touch my hair, right?" she asked.

"Yeah!"

"Will you be scared if I move a little?"

He shook his head. "Uh-uh."

Slowly, more for the other's turtle's sakes then for Michelangelo's, April lifted her hands up to her hair and carefully pulled out her ponytail. She was careful not to disturb the cloth tied around her eyes.

Michelangelo squealed as her red hair fell around her shoulders and April set her hands back on the ground.

Immediately, she felt Michelangelo run a curious hand though her hair. He gasped in delight. "It's kinda like Splinter's but softer! And longer!"

"April?" she heard a voice asked.

She wasn't surprised that Leo had addressed her, or that he approached cautiously.

However, she was surprised when he reached down and carefully pulled the blindfold off her head. She blinked up into his very serious face as he considered her thoughtfully. He seemed to be staring through her, as if searching for something that would give him all the answers he needed.

"You're really not scared of us?" he finally asked.

She tilted her head to the side. "Why would I be?"

Leo blinked and considered his next words very carefully. "Because… because we're so different from you."

April smiled lightly. "That's not a very good reason to be afraid, is it?" she asked.

Leonardo seemed to consider her words thoughtfully before breaking out into a timid grin.

"No, it's not," he agreed.

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**Aniki- Big brother**


	3. Far Away

**Hey guys! Sorry for the wait! Thanks for all your reviews! Your support is amazing and I can't believe how many reviews I have so far!**

**And a big thanks to my beta noa91939 on tumblr**

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**Chapter 3: Far Away**

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"Where did she go? Donnie, where did she go?" Mikey asked frantically, tugging on Donnie's arm.

Donatello sat typing on his computer, the Kraang time travel device now hooked up to his computer. The purple crystal in the box that once glowed with energy was now dull and lifeless. Before now, Donnie had only run scans on the device. He knew that without knowing more about the device and how to use it, attaching it straight to his computer had a ninety-eight percent chance of overloading his system. Now that the power the box was producing was almost non-existent, there was less danger in accessing it directly.

"I don't know, Mikey! Would you just shut up so I can figure it out?" Donatello snapped, jerking his arm away from his brother.

"Well, figure it out faster!" Raph retorted. "It was your idea to bring that thing back to the lair."

"Enough guys," Leonardo cut in. "Let Donnie work. He's the only one that knows what he's doing."

* * *

Leonardo physically had to drag Mikey away from April's hair, but when the turtles retreated they didn't go far.

They sat together in front of her, all except for Raphael who stood a few feet away from his brothers watching the proceedings with a hawk-like glare and angry crossed arms. Leonardo had Mikey by the shell and the youngest turtle was practically sitting on his brother. Donatello was fidgeting next to Leo. He had suddenly gone very quiet and wouldn't meet her gaze.

As they sat, they told her who they were, how they mutated, and about their life in the sewers with Master Splinter.

April listened politely, but her mind was elsewhere. She already knew this story by heart. She knew she was in a different dimension, so nothing she did here would affect her world. However, could her being here have a negative effect on this world? What if she told them something they weren't supposed to know? Could she inadvertently cause them harm?

Would it be okay if she told them she was from the future?

April bit her lip. She had been debating about that. She had already lied to the turtles, but could she really lie to Master Splinter? Could she really bring herself to beg Master Splinter to let her stay down here with them and then lie to him about her origins?

Would he believe her if she told the truth? She had the tessen he gave her, but would that be enough? A close call with a friend who picked up her T-phone a few days ago had lead April to become paranoid and transfer all her pictures of the turtles to Donatello's computer, so now she had no photographic evidence to show. Even without photos, she might be able to convince Splinter of who she was with just her sheer knowledge of Splinter's background and the tessen, but was that a good thing?

What if she told him too much? What if she told him the wrong thing? If she mentioned the Kraang or the Shredder, how easily could she screw up this world? If Splinter knew that his sons would one day have to face the Shredder, April didn't think Splinter would let them go topside on their fifteenth birthday, or ever, if he could help it. If they didn't go topside on that day at the exact right time, then they would never save the April of this world and that April would be captured by the Kraang. April knew that none of her actions here would affect her or her world, but they could still affect the turtles and the April O'Neil living in this one.

Obviously, April would never mention the Shredder or big future events on purpose, but who knows what small things she could do or say what would change this world for the worse. She read enough science fiction books and saw enough terrible sci-fi B movies with Mikey to know about the butterfly effect.

Changing one small event in the past could have colossal effects on the future. Just because it wasn't her future didn't mean it still wasn't her responsibility.

If she told Splinter she was from the future, she ran the risk of saying something that he shouldn't know about.

But if she told him she was just a lost girl seeking shelter, then even if she said something wrong, her words would have less of an impact. Splinter would just see her as a stranger passing by, not as someone knowledgeable of future events.

The question was: could she lie to Splinter?

"And we're still working on our training with Master Splinter to be ninjas. One day we will go up to the surface so we need to be prepared," Leonardo finished. April noticed with a secret smile that Leonardo's explanation of their past was very similar to how Master Splinter often told it. In fact, it was almost word-for-word.

"What do you think?" Mikey asked rocking back on his shell.

"That's certainly an unbelievable story," April said carefully. "You four are very special."

One of the turtles scoffed and April's eyes immediately moved to Raphael. She expected him to have a sarcastic comment to throw at her, but to her surprise, Raph's eyes were on Donatello.

April stared at the little genius in surprise as he glared at the ground. Had he been the one to scoff?

Out of all the turtles, Donnie's mood had varied the most. He had gone from terrified, to wary, to curious, to reserved, to suddenly irritable in only the past twenty minutes.

He muttered something in Japanese and April noticed Leonardo wince at whatever Donnie had said and Mikey's eyes go wide. The young turtle suddenly looked hurt.

"Donnie!" Leonardo chastised harshly.

Donatello opened his mouth angrily, ready to argue, but then he seemed to catch the expression on Michelangelo's face, and his anger vanished. His shoulders drooped and he studied the ground in defeat.

"Sorry Mikey," Donnie muttered.

"What did he say?" April asked.

"None of your business!" Raph snapped. "Actually, none of this is her business!" He took a few brave steps towards her. "Why are we telling her anything?" he asked Leo.

"Because Raph," Leo said calmly, "she needs to know who we are and why it's important that no one knows about us. If she decides to tell other humans about us then we would be in a lot of danger."

Raph growled and glared at her, his hands balling into fists.

"Whoa, hold up," April said lifting her hands into the air defensively. "I'm not going to tell anyone about you, I promise."

"Why not?" Donatello asked in a small voice, his head cocked to the side and his eyes guarded. "The world hasn't seen anything like us before. You would be famous if you told anyone about us. You have no reason to keep us a secret."

April's mouth fell open and she crossed her hands over her chest, affronted. "How about because you're kids for one? And for two, I don't care about being famous, especially if that means hurting others. I'm not a monster. I don't want some scientist to get their hands on you and decide to study and diss-" A quick glance at Mikey and she immediately changed her course of words. "Uh, hurt you."

Under Donatello's intelligent scrutiny, April knew he understood what she meant to say. However, April's answer didn't seem to appease the smartest mutant and his eyes only grew darker as he looked away.

"We don't have much of a choice," Leo said. "We have to trust her."

Michelangelo raised his hand happily. "I trust her! I like her a lot!"

"You would," Raphael grumbled.

"You have much to learn about trust, Michelangelo," came a voice from behind April. She spun around, her heart fluttering nervously in her chest as she saw Master Slinter standing in the door way. He was staring down at her with hard, dark eyes.

April clambered to her feet in an instant, the turtles shrinking away from her slightly at her quick movements.

"Sensei! You're home!" Leo announced, his voice caring a hint of guilt as if it was his fault there was currently a stranger in their house.

The turtles ran up to their father and stopped just before him. All four of them spoke at the same time, speaking urgently and entirely in Japanese.

Splinter regarded his sons quietly as they, April assumed, tried to explain what was going on.

With April's limited Japanese vocabulary, which she had been working on extending since meeting the turtles, she tried decipher what the turtles were saying. However, the only word she managed to catch was her name.

Suddenly, Splinter held up his hand and his sons obediently fell silent.

Splinter looked at April now, considering her carefully. April gave him a timid smile, her heart racing in her chest. It wasn't that she was afraid of Splinter; she knew him too well for that. However, if she couldn't explain herself correctly or if she gave him cause to think she might hurt his sons, there would be no way Splinter would allow her stay with them.

Plus, April had seen Splinter when he was actively protecting his sons and she definitely did not want him to see her as a threat.

"Hi," April greeted carefully, trying to keep the hesitation out of her voice. "I'm April O'Neil."

His stare was cold. She felt like not just an intruder, but an enemy. It was the first time she was made to feel unwelcome in the lair.

_I don't belong here._

The sudden realization was heavy and for a moment she couldn't breathe.

She had only known the turtles for a year, but in that short time they had taken her in and made her feel like part of the family. The lair had felt like more of a home then her aunt's place on the surface where she slept.

Splinter's hostile glare dispelled all illusions and her feeling of comfort at her familiar surroundings turned to dread. It may look familiar, but she was very far away from home.

Splinter took a step towards her, but April barely noticed. It was only too late she realized her mistake.

"You are… not afraid," Splinter stated cautiously, his eyes narrowing.

April shook her head. "No." She knew she should probably act afraid. After all, if she had really stumbled upon a rat-mutant and his talking turtle sons living in the sewers the first thing she would do is scream. After all, that's what happened the first time she met them.

However, she couldn't bring herself to pretend to be afraid. She couldn't do that to them, especially not to the turtles. Not only because she would feel guilty for being deceitful, but also because she knew how timid they already were about revealing themselves to the outside world. She was the first human to see them after the mutation and she knew that whatever her reaction was it would stay with them for the rest of their lives. If she screamed, or pretended to be fearful, they would always remember that, and deep down, believe that there was something wrong with them. She wanted to show the turtles that what they were, what they had become, wasn't a bad thing.

"She said she's not scared because..." Mikey hesitated and pouted in confusion. "Because… what did she say, Leo?" he asked, turning to his eldest brother.

Leo glanced up as Splinter hesitantly before answering his brother's question. "She said that being different from someone isn't a good reason to be afraid."

Splinter's eyes were still on her; he seemed to be taking in everything about her. April felt like he learned more in one look than she knew about herself.

"I see…" Splinter said slowly. "Why have you come here?"

Words flew from her mouth before she could stop them, a gut-wrenching feeling of guilt accompanying every word. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to break into your home. I just… ended up here. And then your sons…" She glanced at the turtle children who were staring up at her uncertainty. "They found me."

Splinter didn't so much as twitch a whisker at her explanation.

"You have come a long way below the surface. Why?" he asked.

April glanced away. "I was… escaping," she lied. "These men were after me and I was running away from them." Suddenly, April looked up at Splinter earnestly. "Please, let me stay here! Just for a bit!"

April could feel Splinter's distrust, and the way he was_ looking_ at her. April swallowed guiltily and had to force herself not to look away in shame. She could see in his eyes. He knew she was lying.

"Do you not have family?" he asked, but this time, April could detect a slight softening of his voice.

April shook her head. "Not in the area and my dad is…" she hesitated, her heart lurching. "He's missing."

April saw something flicker behind Splinter's eyes and for a quick moment she saw the Splinter she had grown to know. His guarded expression had slipped only for a brief second, and April realized that he believed her about her father.

Perhaps it was his skills as a ninjutsu master, perhaps it came with raising four young boys, but Master Splinter could tell when she was lying and when she wasn't.

Although April's dad in this dimension might still be fine, her dad, the one she had left back in her home dimension, was still mutated, scared, and trying to survive on the streets of New York on his own. To her, he was still missing and Splinter had somehow recognized that wasn't a lie.

"Please, I have nowhere else to go," her voice shook slightly as the gravity of her situation weighed down on her, but her voice still rang with truth. "I won't be here for long," April heard herself promise. "My brothers are… far away right now, but I know they're going to come and find me when they can. I just need somewhere safe to live until then."

"Can we keep her, Master Splinter?" Mikey asked, tugging slightly on his father's robes. Splinter's reached down and absentmindedly placed a caring hand on his son's head.

Splinter sighed. "I would be best if you contacted the authorities, Miss O'Neil. This is not a place for a young girl."

A young _human_ girl is what he meant.

April balled her hands into loose fists as her throat began to close up.

"I can't go to the authorities! They wouldn't know what to do with me." She was trying to keep her words truthful, hoping Splinter would at least recognize that. "And it would make it harder for my brothers to find me."

Master Splinter laid his ears flat against his head.

"So instead you wish to stay here with strangers you do not know?" Splinter asked.

"I know it doesn't make a lot of sense, but-"

"I'm not done," he interrupted, his voice tight and angry. "You ask to stay here where you could endanger my sons and yet you only explain yourself using half-truths and lies."

April couldn't even look up at him; the back of her eyes prickling, but she swallowed and forced the sensation back.

"I would never put them in danger," April denied earnestly. "I'm not going to tell anyone about them or you." She forced herself to look him straight in the eye. "I promise."

Despite the fact that she was telling the truth, Splinter didn't seem to believe her.

Splinter looked down at the turtles. They had moved closer to their father and were regarding her warily; even Mikey eyed her with uncertainty, glancing at his father in confusion.

"My sons have never seen anyone from the surface," Splinter continued. "Humans would not understand them." He placed a soft hand on Leonardo's head. The eldest turtles face was very grave. "But you have brought your world down with you. Just by being here you have already placed them in danger," the biting tone in Splinter's voice made her shiver.

He took a small step towards her. "On the other hand," his voice was suddenly not as sharp. "You are alone. I believe you about that. I…" he hesitated, "I find it hard to deny a child who is asking for help, even if they are not my own."

April blinked in surprise. For one horrifying moment, she was sure Master Splinter wasn't going to let her stay and she was going to have to fend for herself on the surface.

"If I allow this, you must know one thing, Miss O'Neil."

"What?" she asked, her breath barely a whisper.

His eyes bore into her own with fierce intensity. "If you harm my sons… if you put them in any danger… you will regret coming here."

April nodded solemnly. She knew Splinter didn't want her here. April knew if there was some way Splinter could erase her memory of his sons he would do it in a heartbeat. However, it was too late, and now Splinter was trying to salvage their lives, which were completely dependent on April's mercy.

A horrid thought suddenly occurred to April.

"You're not letting me stay here because you feel like you have to, are you?" April asked Splinter, causing him to raise a curious eyebrow at her. April shook her head. "Even if you turned me away, I still wouldn't tell anyone about you. I'm not trying to blackmail you so that you will let me say. I would never do that."

To April's astonishment, Splinter gave her the tiniest of smiles. "I see…" he said slowly. "Well, that is… good to know."

"She's really staying with us?" Michelangelo asked; his wariness banished now that his father had come to a decision.

"For now," Splinter agreed.

"Yay!" Michelangelo dove for April's legs and tackled both of them at the same time.

"Mikey, no!" Leonardo shouted, but the warning came too late.

April felt her legs buckle beneath her and the world blurred around her as she fell, landing hard on her back.

April sat up in a daze to see a wide-eyed and clearly petrified Mikey staring at her, still sitting slightly on top of her legs.

"I-I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to!" Mikey stumbled. "It was… was just an accident!"

April's back ached, but she was mostly unharmed. What disturbed her, however, was the fearful expression on Mikey's face. Without thinking, April reached out and placed a hand on the top of his head to calm him.

She immediately regretted her action because from the moment she reached out several things happened at once. Leo and Raph took an impulsive step forward and Mikey flinched, closing his eyes just before she placed a soft hand on his head.

"It's okay," she said gently, guilt stabbing at her chest as her hand rested on top of his leathery head. "You didn't mean to and I'm not hurt."

Slowly, Michelangelo opened his eyes and April could see him relax. He returned her smile eagerly.

"I thought you weren't scared of me?" April whispered mostly to herself, and even though she tried to hide it, she could hear the disappointment in her voice.

"It will take time, Miss O'Neil," Splinter interrupted, easily lifting his son off her legs and placing him back on his feet. "Trust is something earned, not given." He seemed to waver for only a moment before he held out his paw to help her up.

April took it without thinking and was lifted to her feet.

"Please, just call me April."

* * *

The rest of the lair was relatively the same as her world, minus the not-yet-a-lab. They still had the sunken pit with the TV, a kitchen, and the dojo. The biggest difference was the four turtles shared one large room as their bedroom instead of each getting their own. April recognized the room that the eight-year-olds shared as a storage room in her time where they kept the excess weapons and Donnie's old inventions. However, in this dimension it held four beds and an incredibly cluttered floor.

The kitchen had many of the same appliances it had in her time, but unlike in her time, there wasn't a single pizza box. April didn't examine the contents of the kitchen too closely, knowing the turtles mostly ate worms and algae before venturing to the surface and she had no interest in finding their leftovers.

To April's surprise, Splinter showed her where he stored some cans of normal, human food.

Splinter and the turtles had disappeared after they gave her the tour and she hadn't heard from them since. April heated up some canned ravioli in their microwave for dinner, but she wasn't very hungry.

Sitting at the kitchen table with her diner, April's thoughts turned to the guys in her own dimension. She knew they were probably looking for a way to bring her back, but she hoped they weren't too frantic. She was fine. She could survive here for a little while even though the little turtles were afraid of her and Master Splinter saw her as nothing more than a threat to his sons…

April sighed. It was lonely here. These were her boys, but at the same time, they weren't. She missed home. She missed the guys. She missed being trusted and cared for and feeling like she was a part of their family.

After she finished eating, April headed to the room Splinter had designated as hers. It was actually Leonardo's room in her time, but in this time, it was a mostly empty storage room. There was no real bed, but Splinter moved a mattress and blankets into the room for her and that was just as good.

Splinter had even made up the bed for her, which kind of surprised her, even though she knew it shouldn't. Splinter was a very organized and meticulous person; it would make sense that he would make her bed. On the other hand, Splinter hadn't been very welcoming of her so this gesture was… nice.

April sat cross-legged on the mattress and opened up the messenger bag she hadn't let out of her sight since she arrived in this dimension. She checked her T-phone. No service like she expected. The personal phone network Donnie created hadn't been invented yet.

April sensed someone coming and immediately placed her phone back in her bag. Two blue eyes peered through the crack in door she left partially open. She smiled at the young turtle in what she hoped was a welcoming gesture.

"You can come in, you know," she encouraged.

Michelangelo pushed open her door and walked into her room. Sitting on her mattress, she was a little shorter than his full height, but he still seemed so small to her. Mikey had always been small compared to his brothers, but this Michelangelo was even more of a child, and even more vulnerable looking.

April knew first hand, however, that Michelangelo was not weak. Despite his size and child-like persona, Mikey could take a hit and then dole them out five times harder. He was a warrior as much as he was a teenager.

The eight-year-old Mikey in front of her had the same potential. He was probably already in the midst of his ninja training and after how hard he had knocked her over earlier that day, April knew he was already a lot stronger than her.

"Hi April," he greeted. "I'm glad you're staying here with us."

"Me too," she agreed earnestly, and then hesitated. "You sure you're okay with it?"

Mikey's expression turned thoughtful. "Sensei and aniki are worried."

"Are you worried?"

Mikey fidgeted slightly. "I don't know. Raphie says I should be, but…" he drifted off, his face twisting in confusion.

April had to bite her lip from laughing at the nickname Mikey had given Raphael.

"What do you think?" she asked.

Mikey shrugged. "I haven't met anyone new before, but I think I like it. I thought humans were going to be mean but you're really nice."

April noticed how the little turtle was inching closer to her throughout the whole conversation.

April tilted her head with a smile.

"Do you want to come sit with me?" she invited, patting the mattress beside her.

His face lit up and he nodded. April scooted over and they sat facing each other.

April glanced towards the door, and yep, there he was. Raphael was standing just outside the door with his arms crossed watching every move she made. April knew at least one of Mikey's brothers had to be outside the door. There was no way they would allow their younger brother to talk to the strange, potentially dangerous, human alone.

April's thoughts turned to the other turtles and how they had all reacted so differently to her arrival.

She had understood Raph, Leo and Mikey's reaction. Raph immediately disliked her because of the threat she posed to his brothers, Leo seemed to recognize she didn't want to hurt them, but he was still cautious and hesitant to let his guard down. Mikey immediately saw the opportunity to make a new friend for the first time in his life and saw her as something new and fun, but he looked to his older brothers for guidance so often that their fear and hesitation around her confused Mikey, making him uncharacteristically wary of her.

Donatello, however, confused her. He had been the first to approach her, and yet, almost as guarded as Raphael. There was bitterness in the way he observed her and April couldn't understand what was going on in her future best friend's head. Donatello wasn't the easiest guy to figure out, but this child seemed so different from the Donnie she knew.

"Hey Mikey," April began carefully. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure!"

"When you guys told me the story of your mutation, Donnie said something in Japanese. It seemed to upset you and he apologized. I was just wondering… can you tell me what he said?"

Mikey cast his eyes down to the bedspread, a frown on his face. "I don't really know why he said that, but Donnie says a lot of things I don't understand."

"What was it?" April prompted softly.

Mikey fidgeted with his hands and kept his eyes lowered. "He said: we're not special, we're freaks."

She took a sharp intake of breath and Michelangelo's eyes snapped up to meet hers.

"He said that?" April asked, a feeling of dread spreading through her chest.

"Yeah… he says stuff like that sometimes when he doesn't think I'm around."

April scooted closer to the youngest turtle. "Listen, Mikey, what Donnie said… he was wrong." April had an intense urge to reach out and place a hand on Mikey' shoulder or to pull him into a hug, but with the way he reacted last time she touched him, she held back. April was pretty sure Mikey wouldn't flinch away from her this time, but with Raphael's hawk-like eyes just outside the door, April decided that the best way to help them feel comfortable around her was to give them their space.

"You guys aren't freaks," April continued. "You're different, but that's not a bad thing.

Michelangelo shook his head. "But Donnie is never wrong."

April sighed. "I know, but in this case, he is. You're going to have to trust me on this."

Mikey nodded but his eyes were back on the bed.

Michelangelo was a trusting turtle, but trusting a new girl over the brother he constantly looked up to was not something he knew how to do.

* * *

"She's gone, sensei," Leonardo explained to his father. "She's in another dimension. One exactly like ours but in the past."

"How did this happen?" Master Splinter asked as he took in the disorganized state of the lab. Beakers were broken, chemicals were spilt on the floor and desk, and papers littered the floor.

"The Kraang device," Donatello explained his voice on the verge of panic. "I don't know what happened! She must have touched it or something! It didn't react to anyone else like that. I thought it would be okay to leave it out! I thought-"

Splinter placed a firm hand on his son's shoulder, and Donatello stopped talking immediately. Splinter took a breath. "Calm yourself, Donatello. Breathe. You are ninja. You must keep your mind calm and clear or you will be no help to April."

Obediently, Donatello took a breath and let it out slowly, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

"Now," Splinter began calmly. "Where do you believe April is? Do you think she is safe?"

"I-I-" Donnie glanced around in panic. "I don't know… I guess, if I think about it logically, April couldn't have gone too far in the past. The crystal had a lot of power, but it also takes a lot to send someone to another universe. She would end up in the same spot she left, which would be the lab, no more than ten years before this time. I will have to run some more tests to get a more accurate estimation. It's probably less than that…" A look of sudden realization crossed his face. "This means she will meet us in the past. Well, not actually us since it's another universe but… it's pretty much the exact same thing."

"Okay then," Leo broke in. "So we know April is safe. She's with us in the lair, just in another dimension in another time. She'll be safe with us, won't she sensei?"

Master Splinter frowned. "I believe it would be best to retrieve April as soon as possible."

"Why?" Raph asked, his eyes narrowing. "What's wrong, sensei?"

Splinter hesitated, carefully picking out his words before he spoke them. "I am… unsure about how I would have reacted to a stranger suddenly appearing in our home. I did my best to keep our home safe from the surface dwellers and April's appearance would be my worst nightmare. Think my sons, of what your reaction would be if April appeared in our home while you were still children."

Mikey shrugged. "I don't get it. It wouldn't be that different, would it?"

Donatello clenched his fists, his features growing dark. "Yes, it would. Especially if…" He shook his head. "Never mind."

Raph rolled his eyes. "Come on guys, this is April! She can handle us. We don't have to worry about her. What we need to focus on is getting her back." He clasped a hand on the back of Donnie's shell, bringing the genius out of his thoughts. "Right Donnie?"

Donatello nodded, his haunted expression clearing. "Right."


	4. Topside

**And as always, thanks again ****noa91939**** for being a wonderful beta! I feel so much better about publishing after you look over this story!**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Topside**

* * *

April woke suddenly, the hair on the back of her neck standing up; alerting her to the intruder in her room. Panicked, her eyes swept over the small room and she was momentarily confused. It looked like Leo's room, but it wasn't.

Then, all the memories of the previous day came flooding back to her in an instant. April groaned and sat up further; her attention back on the reason she woke up.

"You can come out. I know you're there," she called.

It was amazing how the four small turtles could seemingly materialize out of nowhere; their tiny heads suddenly peering at her for their hiding places. Mikey and Leo had been on their bellies on the floor just next the foot of her mattress and Donnie and Raph had hidden behind a large box that was placed by the door of the room. Embarrassed at having been caught, the four turtles shuffled out into the open.

"Good morning," she greeted, her smile threatening to consume her face.

"Morning!" Mikey chirped back. "Why are you still asleep? We already had breakfast and training!"

April blinked. "Oh, did I sleep in? Did you come to wake me?"

Leonardo rubbed his hands together. "We thought you might want breakfast."

April smiled and removed the covers, quickly getting to her feet. April noticed the turtles didn't shrink away from her like they had the day before. However, she knew better than to approach them. Mikey might not mind, but she wasn't sure how the others would react to her.

"Okay, breakfast sounds good." She exited the small room, the turtles following behind her. Mikey was almost at her heels while the others lagged behind.

April opened the small cupboard in the kitchen which housed the canned food Splinter had shown her the night before. She paused to examine the contents as she tried to decide what she should eat.

"Is that human food?" Mikey asked as he came up beside her to examine the cans with interest.

"Yeah, but it's not just for humans. You would like it if you gave it a try," she said absentmindedly as she removed a can from the cupboard.

"Is that going to be enough food for you?" Leo asked quietly.

April blinked and glanced at the suddenly concerned turtle. She then looked back at the cans. "Probably not," she decided. "I'll have to go to the surface to get some more food."

April opened the can of Progresso soup and poured it into a bowl she retrieved from another cupboard. Soup wasn't the best breakfast meal, but it wasn't as though she had too many options. Splinter was probably already aware of the problem of her limited food source, but he wouldn't be very happy about the solution. Splinter already wasn't happy about her staying with them. April knew he would be uncomfortable if she took a trip to the surface. In order to do that, Splinter would have to trust that she wouldn't try to expose them.

"What's the surface like?" Mikey asked eagerly as she placed the bowl of soup in the microwave and pushed start.

She turned to look down at Mikey who returned her gaze with large, eager eyes. Leonardo was standing next to his youngest brother, but Donnie and Raph had taken up the vacant chairs at the kitchen table.

April frowned thoughtfully. "You guys have a TV," she said carefully. "You know what the surface is like from that, don't you?"

Michelangelo shook his head. "It's not the same! Can you tell us about it?"

Mikey wasn't the only one looking up at her eagerly. Leo also had a hopeful look on his face as he waited patiently for her to speak. Donnie was watching her carefully, but he couldn't hide the curiosity in his features. Raphael, unsurprisingly, was glaring, but for once not at her but at Mikey. April's forehead creased in confusion. Why would Raph be angry at his littlest brother?

"Well…" April began, trying to think of a way to appease them, but also not make the surface too appealing. If she made the world outside the sewers seem too fun and exciting, they might venture out on their own and put themselves in danger. On the other hand, if she made the surface out to be scary in order to deter them from leaving the sewers, it might hinder their sense of adventure when they are ready to leave for the surface when they're older. Even though April would want to keep them safe, it seemed manipulative to purposely scare them.

After all, they deserved to see the sky as much as anyone.

"I don't know how to describe it," April continued. "But I guess the best word for it would be: big. It's a big world out there… bigger than any one of us can imagine. It's big and fast- in the city, at least. There are thousands of people and everyone is always moving."

"Wow!" Mikey exclaimed, bouncing on his feet. "The surface sounds so fun!"

"And dangerous," Leo cut in, giving his youngest brother a look. "For us, at least."

Mikey didn't seem to hear his brother and April could practically see him daydreaming. That starry-eyed look on his face was unmistakable.

"But if you go topside, April, won't you be in danger?" Leo asked as he gave her another concerned look and April was starting to find his worrying glances unsettling. On teenage Leo she was used to them, but it felt strange to have such a young kid look at her as if her safety was his responsibility. Maybe it came from years of looking after his three brothers, but April still didn't feel that it was right for such a young child to shoulder so much responsibility so quickly. He had only just met her and he was already looking out for her.

"You were running away from some men who were after you, right?" Leo asked. "If you go up to the surface they might see you."

Donnie mumbled something in Japanese and Raph said something back that sounded like an agreement.

April glanced from Leo, who suddenly looked conflicted, to the two whispering turtles.

"What did he say?" she asked.

"He said," Raph growled spitefully in her direction, "that sensei said you were lying to us about something. Maybe you really didn't come here to hide from anyone or maybe your dad is not really missing. I don't know, but I know sensei made a mistake in letting you stay with us."

Raph's tone made her bristle with indignation, and had it been teenage Raph, his argumentative words would have been the beginning of a very long argument between them. She and Raph didn't fight often, but when they did, they fought like cats and dogs; neither one of them wanting to give the other the satisfaction of the last word. They were both equal parts stubborn and passionate, and often, Leo had to play big-brother-peacekeeper and break them up. However, they never held a grudge against each other for long.

However, this wasn't teenage Raph. This was a child who had a very good reason to be upset and not trust her.

"Raphie! Stop being mean!" Mikey spoke up before April had to chance to. "You're going to make her not like us if you keep being mean like that!"

Raph snarled and jumped down form the chair. "Oh yeah, sure!" he yelled directly at Mikey. "Side with her! I knew you would! Traitor!"

Tears immediately sprung to Mikey's eyes. "I'm… I'm not a traitor!"

Raphael stalked across the small kitchen, paying absolutely no mind to April, and poked Mikey hard on his plastron.

"Yes, yes you are!"

"Raph!" Leo scolded, but Raphael ignored him.

"You're a traitor and… and don't cry, ya baby!" Raph snapped. Mikey's tears were now running down his cheeks and they only served to make Raph angrier. "If you like her so much then maybe you should just go live with her on the surface! That way I won't have to see her or your big crybaby face ever again!"

Raph stormed away in a huff, leaving a distraught Mikey behind him. Leo put a hand on his baby brother's shoulder.

"Don't listen to him, Mikey," Leo told him. "He's just being a jerk. He doesn't mean it."

"Yeah Mikey," Donnie agreed, but when April looked up at the genius turtle his haunted eyes were not comforting. "You don't belong on the surface anyway."

Donnie stood up from the table and followed Raphael out of the room without even a glance backwards.

Leo placed a strong arm around Mikey's shoulders, pulling him close. "Don't listen to them, okay?" Leo instructed his little brother softly.

The microwave beeped but April barely heard it.

She watched Mikey cry as feeling of dread settled back in her heart. This was the first time April started to really understand that her presence in the lair might do more harm than good. Just by being there, she was disrupting the harmony in the lair and between family members.

* * *

After breakfast, April found Splinter exiting the dojo.

April hadn't seen Raph and Donnie since they left the kitchen and soon after that Leo pulled Mikey away to play a game in order to cheer the young turtle up.

"Master Splinter?" April called.

Splinter regarded her seriously, folding his hands behind his back as she approached.

"I need to ask you," April began. "Would it be okay if I take a quick trip to the surface? I need to pick up some extra clothes and food. I know you probably want me out of your hair as soon as possible…" April winced at the poor choice of words to a man who was covered in hair, but decided to continue on quickly. "But I don't know how long my brothers are going to take to come get me and I need some more supplies."

Splinter's expression didn't change much, but April noticed a slight rise in his eyebrow as he regarded her curiously. "April, you are not a prisoner here. You may leave as you please and there is nothing to stop you from coming back. Why are you asking my permission?"

April blinked; her mouth parting slightly in surprise. "Because…. Because this is your home," she insisted. "I didn't think you would be comfortable with me just coming and going whenever I wanted."

"I'm not comfortable with it," Splinter agreed and April's heart dropped into her stomach. "A young girl exiting and entering the sewers would cause suspicion and could put my sons in danger."

"I… I know," April said, hanging her head. "I had a feeling you would say that."

"And yet you still asked when you could have just left on your own." There was a hint of surprise in his voice. "Unless you do not know the way out?"

April shook her head. "No, I know how to get to the surface, but you were nice enough to let me stay here and I didn't want to do anything that would make you feel like your family is unsafe." April shrugged. "I'll find a way to make do with what I have. Don't worry about it."

April turned to walk away and Splinter sighed. "Wait a moment, April."

April paused and looked back at him in confusion.

"I said I was not comfortable with this, but even still, I will allow it," he said with a firm nod.

"But Master Splinter-"

He held up his paw and she fell silent.

"I do not know much about you, April, but I believe there is a kindness in you. Over the years I have lost not just my willingness, but my ability to trust others. My son, Michelangelo, on the other hand, has an open heart. He sees the good in you and trusts you. Although he lacks the ability and experience needed to sense deceit, his perception of the good in people is unmatched.

"My sons have taught me much over the years. They have…" Splinter's voice wavered for only a short moment, "given me a reason to continue to live. They are my world, and everyday I'm learning from them and learning to be more like them. To be as daring as Raphael, as resourceful as Donatello, as selfless as Leonardo and as trusting as my Michelangelo. Today I will take a page from Michelangelo's book, so to speak."

"What do you mean?"

"Michelangelo trusts you, and although you have lied and given me reason not to do the same, I will follow his example to some degree. He believes that you are good, so I will put my faith in my son."

April glanced at the ground; her mind thinking back to the conversation over her breakfast. "Why Mikey though?" she asked. "He might trust me, but Raph and Donnie don't, and I think Leo only trust me to a certain point."

Splinter nodded. "My other sons allow fear to cloud their mind, and that fear turns either into anger, shame or self-doubt. Michelangelo handles fear differently; it doesn't consume him in the same way. Perhaps it is because he is the youngest, or perhaps it had something to do with his personality, but Michelangelo has always been able to _see _the clearest in the face of fear."

"Even clearer than you?"

"As I said," Splinter continued. "I find it hard to trust anyone anymore, but just because it is hard for me, doesn't mean that it is something that I shouldn't do. And besides," he said with humor in his eyes. "I would rather you not starve, and I doubt I can convince you to eat algae and worms?"

She grinned at him. "Not a chance."

"Very well, then you may leave when you wish, but please be quick. The payphone in the main room is working. The number is on the side. Please write it down ad call it if you are delayed."

April nodded but couldn't suppress her smile. That was such a _dad_ thing to say.

* * *

April grabbed her messenger bag before she left the lair. It had her wallet in it with some money she received from babysitting last week. She had enough money to last her a while if she was careful with it. April headed straight to Goodwill in order to pick out the cheapest clothes she could find. The only clothes she had with her were the ones on her back, and although she could hand wash the laundry every few days she would still need some clothes to change into.

Next stop was a CVS and she got all the soap and other cleaning essentials she needed, remembering to pick up a toothbrush and toothpaste.

On her way out of the store, April saw one item for sale that took all her willpower not to buy: Season One, Space Heroes.

April smiled to herself. She wondered if Leo had seen the show yet, or if he had yet to discover it? As much as she wanted to buy it for him, she felt like buying a gift for one of the turtles might come off as manipulative. April would have to wait to buy it until they trusted her more.

April's next stop was going to be hard. She hadn't been in her old apartment for a long time. She had been staying at her aunt's place for over a year, and even during that brief period of time when she had her dad back after they rescued him from the Kraang, she and her father had stayed with her aunt while they got back on their feet. Then, her father was mutated before they got a chance to move back home.

April couldn't even remember the last time she spent a night in her old home. It was back before she met the turtles, and life before them, alien creatures, and other mutants, didn't feel real anymore.

She knew the nine-year-old April would be at school right now and her dad would be at work, making her old home (Present home? Past home? Time travel was confusing.) the perfect place for her to hide out.

April found the spare key to the apartment in the mailbox were they used to keep it. Her dad had the key to the mailbox, but April's hand was small enough to reach in and grab the house key.

Once inside, April put all her bags down and pulled out a small, square shopping cart that her dad kept tucked behind the couch. To save money on gas, her dad used to take the bus everywhere, even grocery shopping. He bought the small cart so the two of them didn't have to carry all the groceries to the bus stop.

Now it would be perfect for what she needed.

April opened up the cupboards in the small kitchen and began filling up the cart with cans and frozen food from the fridge. She knew it was stealing, but this wasn't exactly a normal situation, and technically her dad bought all this food for both of them to share. She wasn't taking all of it and her dad had plenty of money to buy more food. Living in New York was expensive, but they always had enough money to get by.

Once that was done, and the cart was mostly filed, April used the kitchen phone to order a large pizza. She had to bring at least something back to Splinter and the turtles. She didn't have a lot of money, but she could afford this.

April relaxed in the chair at the kitchen table, finally allowing her mind to catch up with her.

However, the peace didn't last long.

She felt a presence in the house and immediately snapped to attention. How had she missed it before? Had her dad stayed home from work? No, her dad had heavy footsteps and she would have heard him by now. This presence was soundless, except for …

"Hi April!"

April's eyes widened at the unmistakable sound of Michelangelo's voice.

_Mikey... Oh no…_

* * *

**This chapter was one of the toughest to write so far and I think part of the reason is I'm mentally trying to outline the story in my head and there is A LOT to outline. I don't want to be too quick or two slow with any character development so I have to make sure I'm planning ahead to avoid writing something in at the wrong time.**

**This is going to be a tricky fic but I think I'm going to have a lot of fun with it. **


	5. Out of the Sewer

**Hi guys! I'm so sorry this chapter took so long! It was so hard to write, plus my weekends weren't free, and I'm just glad I finished with it! I hope it turned out okay. Usually it doesn't take me this long to update. **

**I've been gaining quite a few followers on this story and that's also been making me a little nervous. I hope this chapter isn't a letdown and you guys like it. And thanks for all the reviews! They mean a lot and keep me going! **

**Thanks to my beta noa91939 for editing this chapter! **

* * *

**Chapter 5: Out of the Sewer**

* * *

"Mikey!" April gasped as she stared down at the young turtle. "What are you doing here?"

Mikey stood in the doorway to the kitchen, grinning happily, and looking very pleased with himself.

"I followed you!" he announced. April felt all the blood drain from her face as her heart seized with panic. Without really thinking, April dove for the curtains over the window next to her and yanked them closed.

"You can't be here!" she hissed, but she barely heard herself; her words were drowned out by the pounding heartbeat in her ears.

_No, no, no! This is bad! This is really bad!_

Mikey's smile faltered. "Why not?"

"Because you're-!" she took a step towards him, but then froze at the bewildered expression on his face. Taking a breath, April slowed her movements and came to stand just before the little turtle, bending down until she was eye level with him. "Because you're not allowed on the surface, Mikey." Her words were stilted as she tried to keep her tone calm.

Mikey glanced at the ground, embarrassment and shame crossing his features. "I know…" he mumbled. However, his remorse didn't last long. His head snapped back up and he regarded her intently. "But I was worried about you! Leo said that if you went topside those bad men might find you. I wanted to… to help keep you safe."

Any other time, April might find that cute. Right now she felt like both crying and tearing her hair out in frustration. Mikey had gone topside and put himself in danger and it was all her fault. All because of her and her stupid lie.

"Mikey," she stressed. "You can't be here. You just put yourself in a lot of danger. You understand that, right?"

Mikey cocked his green head to the side, a confused frown on his face. "Not really. Master Splinter said humans are dangerous, but you're not dangerous," he pointed out logically. "He said if humans see us they will try to hurt us, but you haven't tried to hurt us. I don't think humans are bad at all! So I followed you up here to make sure you were okay and also…" He shuffled his feet slightly, glancing at the ground for a quick moment and then back up at her imploringly. "So I could meet more humans."

April's breath caught in her throat. "Mikey," she croaked out. "You haven't let anyone see you, have you?"

The little turtle shook his head, suddenly looking ashamed. "No… I was too scared to," he admitted and April breathed a sigh of relief, her hand covering her pounding heart.

"Thank god…" she said, closing her eyes momentarily.

"I don't understand. Why can't let anyone see me? If they are like you they will be nice."

"They're not going to be like me, Mikey. They won't understand." April suddenly felt exhausted. All she wanted to do was find a way to get Mikey back home safely and as quickly as possible.

"But why? You said you didn't care that we were different from you. Maybe the other humans don't care either."

"I wish that were true, but they're going to care and they might even try and hurt you. Now let's-"

"But maybe if I showed them how nice I am!" Mikey interrupted. "And you explained things..."

April shook her head, but stopped once she felt the beginning of a headache coming on. "No Mikey, that won't work."

"We won't know unless we try!" he insisted, taking a few steps forward so he could grab her hand and tug on it slightly.

"Mikey, you _can't_," she stressed as she stared down at the little turtle. "I'm sorry, but right now there is nothing we can do-"

"But why can't I at least try?"

"Mikey-"

"Give me a chance! They might like me!"

"They're not going to like you, Mikey, okay?" she snapped, and as soon as those words left her mouth she knew it had been a mistake. Mikey flinched, his eyes widening as if she had just slapped him. He instantly let go of her hand and took a confused step away from her. April's stomach churned with regret.

Placing a hand to her temple, April took a deep breath to calm her mind. She was so stressed about Mikey being on the surface that she wasn't even paying attention to what was going on with the child. She had to be fully present, just like Splinter was training her to be in times of crisis. Taking another breath, she focused entirely on the distraught turtle in front of her.

"Mikey, I'm sorry. Come here?" she requested holding out her hand again. Despite her outburst, Mikey didn't hesitate to step forward and take it. She pulled him towards the tall kitchen counter.

She reached down, and like she would to all small children, grabbed him underneath his armpits and began to lift him up. Unfortunately, her goal to lift him on top of the high counter top was thwarted when she quickly realized that Mikey was much heavier than most eight-year-olds. Mikey was small for his age, but his shell alone weighed at least as much as a normal eight-year-old. He was almost twice the weight of a normal child and April barely got him off the ground before she staggered and had to place him back on his feet again.

He looked up at her in confusion.

"Uh… can you-" she asked while motioning to the counter.

With barely any effort, Mikey reached up and in one quick, fluid motion, lifted himself onto the counter top. He sat with his legs dangling off, regarding her curiously.

The counter was much taller than him, and April knew most kids couldn't lift themselves up like he just did. In fact, it was a feat that many adults couldn't do.

He was sitting taller than her now, but with the way he was slouching, they were almost face-to-face.

"Listen, Mikey." April said slowly, carefully watching his expression. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you, but your dad makes these rules to keep you safe. He just-"

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her and April's stomach lurched.

"Oh man, your dad is going to kill me!" April's hands instantly found her hair and she clenched the orange strands, her hands becoming tense fists. "Splinter is probably already looking for you! He's probably really worried!"

Mikey shrunk into himself until his neck was almost fully pulled inside his shell.

_Shit, shit, shit!_

April could feel herself panicking. Splinter was furiously protective of his sons, and Mikey went missing the day she, the strange girl who Splinter already didn't entirely trust, left for the surface. She knew how bad this looked. She knew what Splinter must already be thinking…

April swallowed. "We have to call your dad, now!"

April grabbed the phone in the kitchen and reached into the tiny pocket of her messenger bag where she placed the number for the telephone in the lair. She was glad Splinter had told her to write it down otherwise she would have no way to contact him. In her universe, she usually just called the guys' cell phones.

April bit her lip. She could already see Splinter searching the sewers frantically but knowing deep down that Mikey was no longer in the safety of the tunnels.

Taking a breath, April glanced at Mikey who was staring up at her worriedly, and dialed the number. The phone only rang once before April heard the other end click.

"Master Splinter-" April began, but was immediately cut off by a furious voice that caused her to freeze.

"April, why have you taken my son?"

April felt her throat close up and she forgot to breathe.

At first, she didn't think she would be able to speak, and then the words came tumbling out before she could stop them. "I-I didn't! I swear, Master Splinter, he followed me!" she rushed as quickly as she could. "And he's okay! He's safe. I swear!" She could hear the desperate plea ringing in her own voice.

_Please believe me._

There was silence and then:

"Tell me where he is. I will come get him," Splinter's voice was tight, and April could tell he didn't believe her at all.

April could feel the back of her eyes prickling and she shook her head. "No, you _can't_-"

"Where. Is. My. Son." He did not yell. His anger was quiet, and that scared her even more. April had never been afraid of Splinter before. He had always had a warmth to him even when he was angry, but this was a different kind of anger. She got the impression he was barely holding back.

"That's not what I meant! I'm not trying to keep him from you!" April insisted. Her mind was racing, but her thoughts were coherent enough for her to know what would happen if Master Splinter tried to retrieve his son. "Think about it, Master Splinter. What about Raph, Leo and Donnie? You really think they would they just stay in the lair knowing their brother is on the surface? You can't come up here to get Mikey. They'll follow you. You_ know _they would. Their little bother is in trouble- not that I would let anything bad happen to Mikey," she amended quickly. "But if their little brother sneaked up to the surface then they're going to do the same to make sure he gets back safely unless you're there to keep an eye on them."

Splinter didn't comment and April hoped this meant he was considering her point.

"I'll bring Mikey back right now, I promise," April continued. "I mean it, Master Splinter, I never meant for this to happen. I would have brought him back sooner if I had known. Please believe me."

There was silence on the other end and April gripped the phone tighter, pressing it to her ear to catch even the slightest of sound.

Then, Splinter let out a breath, and when he spoke he sounded tired and strained. "I'm not sure I can believe you."

His words stung, but she wasn't surprised by them.

Her next words sounded so small, even to her own ears. "I wish I didn't have to ask you to, Master Splinter… not about this."

"April," He said her name sternly, but then he paused, and when he spoke again he suddenly sounded vulnerable. "Michelangelo and his brothers… they are my world. Do you understand that?" he asked, and although it was barely noticeable, April heard his voice waver with desperation. "They are everything I have."

Tears welled up in April's eyes and she blinked them away. "Yes, I know," she said gently. "I promise, he'll be okay. I'm going to bring him back home right now." April looked at Mikey who was staring down at his feet.

There was a long silence in between them and April's chest began to hurt as she belatedly realized she was holding her breath.

"Very well…" Splinter said at last. His voice was calm, but she could still hear his apprehension. "Allow me to speak to my son."

"Yes… of course." April placed a hand on the side of Mikey's arm, causing the young turtle to look up at her. "Your dad wants to talk to you." She held out the phone for him, but Mikey just shrank further into his shell as he shook his head. April frowned as Mikey stared at the phone guiltily. Mikey knew he would be in trouble with his father, and like any child, he didn't want to face his angry parent.

However, April couldn't tell Splinter that he couldn't talk to his son. Not now when Splinter already thought that she had kidnapped him on purpose.

"Mikey," she prompted softly. "Your dad is really worried about you. You understand that, right?" Mikey was looking anywhere but her and nodded solemnly to her question. "He just wants to make sure you're alright. Don't you think you owe it to him to at least let him know you're okay?"

Mikey swallowed and nodded once more. He held out his hand and April handed him the phone. She let out a sigh. Now Splinter could hear that his son was safe for himself.

"Hi daddy," Michelangelo greeted in the smallest voice April had ever heard from him.

"Hai…" Mikey said into the phone after listening for a few seconds.

He paused again and April faintly made out Japanese on the other end of the line, but Splinter didn't sound angry. He was probably too relieved to be angry.

"Hai…" Mikey agreed again. After another moment of listening, Mikey glanced up at April. "No, I followed her."

More silence as Mikey fidgeted with the edge of the counter top as he listened to his father. Mikey spoke in Japanese again and April assumed it was some sort of an explanation.

After a moment, Mikey smiled and nodded. "Okay! Otousan daisuki," he said and then looked to April, holding the phone out to her. "Daddy wanted to talk to you again."

April took the phone and tried to suppress her nervousness. She knew it was her fault that Mikey was in danger, but she hoped that even if Splinter blamed her, he was at least starting to believe that she never intended for this to happen.

"Hello?" she asked.

"April, do you know where there is a sewer entrance where you are? Do you have a plan on how you are going to get Michelangelo there safely? Will you have to wait until the cover of night?"

"Don't worry, Master Splinter. I have an idea and it shouldn't take me more than an hour to get him home." She glanced at the small shopping cart. "I'm pretty sure it's going to work."

"Pretty sure?" Splinter asked and April could barely make out the fear creeping into his voice.

"Trust me, I won't let anything bad happen to him. I'll bring him home as soon as I can-" She was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell echoing through the house. It was funny how such an ordinary sound could shoot fear through her veins, causing her limbs to freeze.

"Is that the doorbell?" Master Splinter asked, and as expected, there was a frantic edge to his voice. April, however, didn't have a chance to explain as Mikey jumped off the counter and inquisitively took a few steps closer to the door.

"Don'tworryI'llbringhimbacksafebye," April said quickly into the phone before she slammed it back on the receiver with a wince. She hadn't wanted to hang up on Master Splinter, but the situation left her little choice. With speed she hadn't even realized she was capable of, April jumped in front of the young turtle, her hands placed firmly on his shoulders.

"Oh, no you don't," she told him. "You are going to hide while I answer the door, got it?"

Mikey met her gaze and April's heart skipped a beat at the mischievous look in his eye. "Okay, I'll hide… after you tell me why humans won't like me. A real answer! It's important, April!"

"Mikey!" April protested weakly, but the little turtle just crossed his arms and looked up at her expectantly.

"You already know why!" April insisted. "Splinter must have already explained it, right? Humans have never seen anything like you before. They might try and hurt you or take you away from your family."

Mikey shook his head. "You didn't! Other humans might be nice too!"

"I'm different. Other humans won't be the same."

"Why?" Mikey asked, his voice ringing with curiously. He wasn't demanding, he was just asking. Like a child asking why the sky was blue. "I'm not scary. I'm different from humans but that's okay, right? Like what you said yesterday: just because someone is different doesn't mean you should be afraid."

April swallowed. She did say that. Oh, but why did he have to take it to heart?

"Mikey…" she bent down to his level until she was staring straight into his blue eyes. He stared up at her innocently and she could feel her frustration melt away. April sighed in defeat. "You are right. You are a hundred percent right. You shouldn't have to hide." She glanced behind her at the front door. "But you do, and I know it's not fair, and I'm sorry, but you have to hide. Please, Mikey?"

"Why April?" he asked one last time, and the pleading look on his face broke her.

"Because…" she began, but she stopped. What could she say? How could she even begin to explain? Splinter brought them up teaching them how they were different and that meant they couldn't be seen. He told them humans wouldn't accept them and they needed to stay in the shadows. He taught them this for their own safety. Then she came along already fully accepting of what they were. She told them the exact opposite; that being different didn't mean you necessarily had to be afraid.

And here she was now, telling him that he had to hide.

"Because…" she tried again, but nothing more came out.

Michelangelo's eyes and his gaze lowered to the floor before he murmured to himself sadly: "Donnie was right."

Before April could ask him what he meant, Mikey slipped into the hall closet, shutting the door behind him. Immediately, she reached for the handle of the closet, wanting to question him about his statement, but at the same time, dreading she knew what he had been referring to.

The doorbell rang again and April felt her hand fall away. She had to find a way to get rid of the visitor before she could talk to Mikey. As quietly as she could, April peered through the peep hole. If it was the neighbors or someone that knew her dad at the door she would have to pretend that the house was empty. She couldn't have her neighbors tell her dad about a random teenager answering the door to his house.

When she caught sight of the stranger on the other side of the door, she wanted to kick herself. In the chaos of discovering Mikey, she had completely forgotten that she had ordered pizza.

April grabbed her wallet from her messenger bag and opened the front door. She quickly slipped out the door, not opening it any wider than she had to, and closed it behind her. The delivery guy seemed momentarily confused, but didn't seem to mind as she paid for her pizza. The pizza guy headed back to his car, and April quickly slipped back into the house and locked the door.

She didn't see or hear anything from Mikey and she was trying not to let that worry her. Ninjas were supposed to be silent. He was fine… wasn't he?

April set the pizza on the kitchen table, her mind on the young turtle. She thought about calling him out of his hiding spot-

"What's that?" A voice to her right asked, and to April's credit, she didn't jump, but her heart was suddenly in her throat and she had to swallow a shriek. She looked over to see Mikey standing on the kitchen chair with his palms pressed firmly on the table counter as he leaned towards the pizza as close as he could.

"It's a surprise for when we get back to the lair," she told him simply.

"Cool!" He sniffed at the air. "It smells weird."

April smirked. "Trust me, you're going to love it." April sat in the chair behind her and scooted closer to Mikey. "Mikey," she began with a gentler tone, and he looked up at her. "What did you mean earlier when you said Donnie was right? What was he right about? Does it…" she hesitated. "It doesn't have anything to do with what he said last night, does it?"

Mikey shook his head, his eyes moving back to the pizza box. "No, not that." He then frowned and looked up at her. "Well… kinda."

April brought her chair even close to the turtle. "What did he say exactly?"

Mikey shrunk down in the chair, his shell leaning against the backrest. "Donnie once told me that humans won't like us no matter what we do. He said no matter how nice we are to them, they still won't like us because we're different. Because we aren't human. He said we belong underground and we shouldn't ever meet humans. Donnie is always right about everything because he's so smart, but I thought maybe this time… since you…" He glanced at her and then looked away sadly. "But you don't like us either," he mumbled.

"What?" April's mouth fell open. "Of course I like you! Why would you think that I didn't?"

Mikey shrugged. "Because you said the same thing that Donnie said. You said that humans won't like me. That means Donnie was right." Mikey blinked hard and April noticed his eyes were unusually glossy. "That means you…" he trailed off, but April finished his sentence for him.

"You think that means I don't like you?"

Mikey shrugged. "Maybe. Do you… do you agree with Donnie? Do you think we belong underground too?"

His wide, searching eyes on the verge of tears. She wanted to tell him whatever would make him smile. To say which ever answer that would make him happy again, but she knew she owed it to him to be honest.

April shook her head. "No sweetie, I don't think you belong in hiding. You deserve to see the sun just like everyone else. You deserve to meet new people and make friends with people you've never met before."

_Just like a normal kid…_

Mikey blinked up at her in wonder as he absorbed her words eagerly.

"But that's just not possible right now," April continued as she leaned forward more in her chair. "There are a lot of good humans out there, but there are a lot of bad ones too and your father just wants to protect you. When you're older, he'll let you go on the surface and you'll make human friends, I promise. But for now, you need to stay safe and train until you're ready"

Mikey frowned, but April was happy to see a small amount of hope return to his features. "You… you think there are humans that would like me? But you said-"

"I know what I said," she cut him off sharply. "And I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry, Mikey. I shouldn't have said that and I didn't mean it."

He bit his lip. "Then… then why did you say it?"

April sighed. "I don't know. I was just trying to keep you safe because I'm scared of you getting hurt. But I promise you there are humans that would love to meet you. They won't care that you're different. To them it won't matter."

Mikey cocked his head to the side. "How do you know?"

She smiled warmly at him and leaned a little closer. "Because I know there is at least one human who likes you already."

"Who?"

April laughed. "Me, silly. I like you. And I know I'm only one human, but the fact that I like you and your brothers means one very important thing.

He leaned forward eagerly. "What?"

"It means Donnie was wrong. It's very possible for humans to like you and in the future you'll meet more that do. I'm sure of it. So I know it's not a lot, but can one human friend be enough? Just for now? Until your dad says you're ready to meet more."

His light blue eyes searched her face with a desperation she didn't expect.

"But what if you stop liking us?" he asked in a distraught voice.

April tapped him on the nose lightly with an index finger, causing him to cross his eyes and blink in surprise. "_That _is never going to happen," she told him.

Mikey grinned.

* * *

"Are you okay in there?" April asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay!" Came Mikey's muffled reply.

April had dressed him in a large, brown coat of her fathers and placed the hood of the coat over his head. Mikey was sitting in the bottom of her cart she had been planning to use to bring the food down to the lair. She was still able to fit a good amount of food on Mikey's lap and the frozen food helped to cover the top of his head, but she wasn't able to bring the amount she had wanted initially.

That was okay though. The most important thing was that Mikey got home safely.

April took one more look around her house. She had put back the food that she wasn't taking with her into the proper cabinets, but she knew her dad would still notice. The good news was, if her father called the cops the only fingerprints that they could find would belong to April and her father.

For a fleeting moment as she looked around the house one more time, April was filled with intense feelings of desire and regret. If she had traveled back in time just a little earlier. Just a six months would be all she needed…. she would have been able to see her mom again.

April shook her head. It's not like it would have mattered. She wouldn't have been able to save her mom. According to Donnie, she didn't time travel within her own universe, so nothing she did would affect her past. But just to be able to hug her mom again, to see her face, to imprint the image of her mother on her mind one last time…

To make sure she would never forget a single detail of her mother ever again.

Even if it wasn't really April's mother from her universe, April would have taken anything she could get.

"April? Are you okay?" Mikey asked from beneath her.

April's grip on the cart tightened. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just stay quiet, okay? And don't move."

"Okay."

With the pizza placed on top of the pile, April steered the heavy, metal cart out of the door of her house. With bags of clothes from her earlier shopping trip slung across her back and the cart full of food, she received some strange stares from her neighbors. As long as they were starting at her and not at Mikey, she didn't mind.

April returned the house key where she found it and carefully steered the cart down the street. A few apartment buildings later, she turned into an alley and paused. April lifted the manhole cover up and placed it on the ground beside her feet. She then walked back over to the cart and began uncovering the food from on top of Michelangelo's head.

When she did finally find his head, the first thing he did was grin at her.

"That was fun!" he announced happily.

April felt a smile tug on the corner of her mouth. "I'm glad. And you did a good job. You can come out now."

As Michelangelo clambered out, his jacket hood slid off his head, exposing his green skin to the world. Feeling paranoid, and maybe a little overprotective, April pulled it back over his head and glanced at the opening of the alley. Thankfully, there were no witnesses.

"Okay Mikey, time to go home." April gestured to the sewers, but Michelangelo's eyes were elsewhere. She watched him stare at the mouth of the alley and she could see the yearning in his posture. The way he leaned forward slightly or trembled with excitement when a car passed by told her that there was nothing he wanted more than to be a part of the surface world.

Even after secretly trailing her for most of the day, the time he spent on the surface still didn't seem to be enough for him. He wanted more. He wanted to be a part of the human world. Mikey and his brothers watched TV; they knew exactly what they were missing out on, and Mikey just wanted to be a part of the fun.

"Mikey," April coaxed softly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

The young turtle pulled himself out of his trance with some effort, and twisted his neck to look up at her. April had been trying to think of something encouraging to say in order to make this moment a little easier, but when she caught the look of heart-wrenching sadness on his face, all her words failed her.

"I know…" he mumbled, and with one more longing glance at the sun-filled sidewalk, he turned his back to the surface world and approached the manhole.

_It's okay Mikey, I promise. This isn't your last time on the surface. You'll be back when you're ready._

April made sure Mikey climbed down the manhole first, and once he was finally out of sight, she felt herself finally relax. Michelangelo was safe.

After emptying the cart of food onto the alley ground, April climbed down into the sewers with the empty cart beneath her right arm. Now that there was nothing in it, the cart folded just small enough so she could take it down with her without too much hassle.

April climbed back up to the surface and, using the jacket she lent Michelangelo, piled the food that she had left on the ground into the jacket, and swung the large bundle over her shoulder. It took some maneuvering, but she managed to make it back into the sewers without dropping any of her food. She placed the cans and frozen food into her empty cart and then took one more trip to the surface to grab any food she missed and the pizza.

Once everything was piled into the cart, (minus the eight-year-old mutant turtle this time) the two of them headed down the tunnel towards the lair.

Mikey was quiet at first, his mind no doubt still on the world he had left behind, but it wasn't long before the silence was broken and he began to talk about what he had seen on the surface.

"The sky was so bright and big! It went on forever! Oh! And guess what, April?"

He didn't even give her time to guess.

"I saw a cat! A cat! A real life cat! Isn't that cool?" he bounced on his feet as he walked.

"Wow, yeah, that's pretty neat," she humored him.

"And there were so many people! Some of them seemed nice and some of them seemed kind of scary."

"New York is a big place. There are a lot of different kinds of people living here-"

Mikey gasped suddenly and tugged her leg. "Do you think Master Splinter will let us get a cat?" He stared up at her hopefully.

"Well… uhh, I don't know," April said evasively, not wanting to crush his dreams, but at the same time, she was positive that Splinter wasn't going to agree to that.

It was time to change the subject. "Hey Mikey, how did you managed to follow me without being seen?" she asked. This question had been bothering her for a while. She had no problem with using her enhanced sense to locate the turtles in the lair, but for some reason she had no idea Mikey was following her all day.

"Oh, I was trying really hard!" he explained, puffing his chest out proudly. However, he deflated slightly when he admitted with some embarrassment: "I was afraid… I didn't want someone to see me so I stayed far away and just watched."

"You stayed in the shadows? Like in the alleys?" April asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, sometimes it was hard to follow you and one time I lost you and I got really scared… but then I found you again!" he chirped happily.

The corner of April's mouth turned up in a small smile. "I had no idea you were there, Mikey. That was really good. If it wasn't for the fact that you broke your father's rules, I'm sure he would be really proud of you and how you used your training."

Mikey squirmed in embarrassment and April's grinned widened at how cute Mikey looked.

"Thanks April…" he said with a pleased grin.

Mikey's explanation still didn't totally explain why April couldn't sense him, but she guessed it was a combination of the multitude of people that were shopping around her at the time, and how far Mikey was away from her. Plus, she hadn't exactly been trying to sense him at the time. April was surprised she hadn't sensed him sneak into her house, but this just meant that she needed more practice.

April glanced at Mikey and realized with a start that he had gone oddly quiet. Mikey was staring at the ground in deep concentration with an unusual frown on his face.

"Mikey?" she ventured cautiously. "Are you okay?"

Mikey shook his head. "What if…What if Raph is mad at me?" he asked the ground in a soft voice, which April had to strain to hear.

April's eyes widened in surprise. "Why would Raph be mad at you?"

"Because of what he said. He doesn't want me to come back."

April frowned and stopped in her tracks. Mikey did the same but he still refused to look at her. "What do you mean? When did he say that?"

He fidgeted slightly. "Remember when he yelled at me this morning?" Slowly, Mikey lifted his eyes to meet hers. "He called me a… a traitor and that I should just live with you on the surface so that he…" Tears welled up in his blue eyes. "So that he won't have to see me anymore."

April remembered that. It had been a pretty bad fight, but she was used to Raph saying things he didn't mean out of anger. Mikey was always sensitive, but April had to remind herself that because Mikey was just a child, he was more sensitive than she was used to.

"Oh Mikey." She let go of the cart and came to stand in front of him. She bent her knees until she was face-to-face. "I'm sure Raph didn't mean that! He was just mad," she comforted.

He wiped the tears from his eyes. "But… but what if he did mean it? What if when I see him he yells at me again?"

April sighed and tucked her bangs behind her ear. "Raph might yell," she agreed slowly, "but that doesn't mean he doesn't love you. I'm sure he's really worried about you right now and just wants you to come home safely."

Mikey blinked up at her in wonder. "Really? How do you know?"

"Because…"

Because she knew Raph. Because she knew how much his younger brother meant to him. Because she had known the mutant family for over a year and she knew how they would react if one of their own went missing.

Because she knew them.

But she couldn't tell Mikey that.

"Because, Mikey… he's your brother."


End file.
